The success of the Lionesses has catapulted women’s football into the stratosphere and has changed our game forever. Throughout the tournament, and especially after the amazing scenes we witnessed at Wembley Stadium on Sunday evening, Bristol Rovers Women’s have been inundated with emails and messages from fans, local girls’ clubs, players, and schools asking for support or expressing an interest in our club. If you haven’t had a reply, please bear with us.
Due to the dramatic increase in interest, we wanted to offer supporters some more information about the ‘Gas Girls’ and how you can support our girls in the famous blue & white this season.
Bristol Rovers Women’s FC – The story so far
In the spring of 2019, Bristol Rovers Community Trust re-launched the ‘Gas Girls’ focusing on four key areas of impact (Community, Education, Participation & Performance). The entire club is run by a team of enthusiastic and committed volunteers. After the first ‘Open Trials’ which attracted more than one hundred hundred players, two squads were selected to form our first team and development team.
The ‘Gas Girls’ kicked off their first season in the Gloucestershire County Women’s League, the seventh tier of the pyramid. Despite winning all of their matches, the season was declared null & void due to the Covid-19 Pandemic. The following season saw the girls pick up where they left off and sealed their first league title and promotion.
The girls then sealed back-to-back promotions by winning the South-West Regional League Northern Division, the sixth tier of the pyramid, scoring an incredible seventy-seven goals in sixteen games. The ‘Gas Girls’ will start the new season in Premier Division of the South-West League.
The girls also made history by returning to The Memorial Stadium and breaking the attendance record for a ‘Her Game Too’ friendly, when they beat Forest Green Rovers 3-1 in front of over 2,500 fans.
The club and its players have also played a vital role within our community, supporting the Community Trust with their work during the pandemic, appearing at kids’ parties at the club, school visits, grassroots club visits and assisting with a supporter’s fitness group. The Football Association recognised this when the ‘Gas Girls’ won the Best Community Development Award in 2019.
How can you watch the Gas Girls?
Both Bristol Rovers squads play at Lockleaze Sports Centre. A £6m facility that boasts a brand-new 4G pitch and a viewing balcony for spectators. The venue has a large clubhouse serving food, teas, coffees, soft drinks, and alcohol.
Entry is currently free, for all spectators and games take place on Sundays at 2pm (Unless stated otherwise)
Fixtures for the 2022/23 season have not been released and we are expecting to hear more news in the next couple of weeks. To get up-to-date information regarding fixtures, sign-up to our mailing list and keep an eye on our social media channels.
The future
The landscape of Women’s Football has changed forever. At Bristol Rovers, we are so excited to see the game that we love rocketing into the mainstream, thanks to the UEFA Women’s Euro’s. Our goal is to continue our progress on the pitch, engage with more supporters, build our fan-base, build a sustainable model for our club, and inspire more girls in our community.
Community Trust CEO, Adam Tutton said,
“Everyone at Bristol Rovers is so incredibly proud of our amazing Lionesses who have inspired the nation this summer. To see the interest in the women’s game, explode during July, has been incredibly special to see. It’s great to see more of our ‘Gas Family’ expressing an interest in our ‘Gas Girls’ and the incredible work that our players and volunteers do in the community and on the pitch. It’s such an exciting time for our game!”
Bristol Rovers Women’s, Club Secretary and Co-Founder, Matthew Davies added,
“It’s amazing to see so much interest in the women’s game after the success of the Lionesses and EURO 2022. I’m delighted to see that I’ve been inundated with emails from so many people wishing to find out more about our women’s team and how they can watch our girls. I hope that the information provided has helped to give supporters a better idea of what we do and how you can support the girls going forward! The girls are so proud to represent this club and your support means the world to them!”
If there is ever a time to get involved and express an interest in the women’s game, then this is it! Join us on what will be an exciting journey.
